Pinwheels

Tune: Fire by Conifer Gilbert (2020) Source: Jeff Bigler, Finn Donnelly, Ash Gast, Conifer Gilbert, Kai Henning, Rachel Nicholson / Banbury Cross Morris (2021) Equipment: Linked Hankie & Stick (yes, really) Chorus: partners clash (turning clockwise to face) & cross. Two pinwheels (counterclockwise), partners clash (turning clockwise to face) & cross. Half-hey. Figures: , , , , & all in.

Detailed Description

This is a linked hankie dance.

Chorus

Bars 1-2: Double-step clashing on beat 1, passing your partner by the right shoulder and turning slightly to face each other. Double-step to partner's place. Bars 3-4: Pinwheel: Linked partners double-step to come together (shoulder to shoulder) as they rotate counter-clockwise. Dancers coming from positions 1 & 4 and positions 3 & 6 clash on beat 1 as they pass. Double-step back to home position. Bars 5-6: Pinwheel: Linked partners double-step to come together (shoulder to shoulder) as they rotate counter-clockwise. Dancers coming from positions 1 & 4 and positions 3 & 6 clash on beat 1 as they pass. Double-step back to partner's position. Bars 7-8: Double-step clashing on beat 1, passing your partner by the right shoulder and turning slightly to face each other. Double-step to home place. Bars 9-12: Half-Hey

For the final chorus (after back-to-back), the half hey is “Adderbury style” with the two lines moving in parallel. Tops pass middles by the right shoulder and bottoms by the left shoulder. Then middles pass bottoms by the right shoulder. At the end of this second half hey, the hankies are woven into a pinwheel for rounds.

Figures

Once to Yourself

Hankie dances: stand in position, trying not to look stupid. Five beats before the end of the tune, bring the hankies up to chest-level and rise onto your toes. Then two hop backs and a foot-together-jump. Stick dances: stand in position, trying not to look stupid. Two beats before the end of the tune, do a foot-together-jump.

Foot Up & Down

Face up. Two double steps in the “up” direction (one stationary, one in place). Galley (out from the center). Foot-together-jump to face down. Face down. Two double steps in the “down” direction (one stationary, one in place). Galley (out from the center). Foot-together-jump ¾ of the way around to face across.

Dancers duck under the hankies when turning around.

Half Gyp

Face across. Two double steps, one to cross to your partner's position (starting on the left foot1) this will be the outside foot as you pass and passing by the right shoulder) and one in place. Hop backs to return to place. Foot-together-jump. Face across. Two double steps, one to cross to your partner's position (starting on the right foot2) this will again be the outside foot as you pass and passing by the left shoulder) and one in place. Hop backs to return to place. Foot-together-jump.

Dancers stop as soon as the hankies are taut.

Back-to-Back

Face across. Two double steps: on the first one cross to your partner's position (starting on the left foot and passing by the right shoulder), and on the second one slide to your right. Hop backs to return to place, this time passing your partner by the left shoulder. Foot-together-jump. Face across. Two double steps: on the first one cross to your partner's position (starting on the right foot and passing by the left shoulder), and on the second one slide to your left. Hop backs to return to place, this time passing your partner by the right shoulder. Foot-together-jump.

Dancers duck under the hankies as they slide sideways on the second double step.

Rounds

On the catch-step (“and”) before the downbeat, hop into a circle and face clockwise. Middles will need to move outwards (“bulge”). One double step around the circle (clockwise). On the second double step spiral into a clump, ending halfway around the circle but closer to the center. Hop backs to your corner's place (halfway around the circle). Foot-together-jump. On the catch-step (“and”) before the downbeat, all dancers turn a little more than 180° over their left shoulders (“hard turn”) and go back the way they came (counter-clockwise). Again, on the second double step spiral into a clump, ending halfway around the circle but closer to the center. Hop backs to your original place. Foot-together-jump.

This figure is danced with the hankies woven in a pinwheel.

The dance ends all in at the end of rounds.

Tune